Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, spoke to a capacity crowd at the third 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Presidential Speaker Series on Sept. 25 in the Kent Student Center Ballroom.
High demand claimed all tickets to the free talk within days of Tyson’s announced 51³Ô¹ÏÍø appearance. To accommodate the strong interest in the event, Tyson’s talk was simulcast in the Kent Student Center Kiva, which also was filled to capacity.
The event was sponsored by 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Division of Research and Sponsored Programs. Before his evening talk, Tyson met with 51³Ô¹ÏÍø science students at the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Planetarium.
For five seasons, Tyson appeared as host of PBS’s NOVA ScienceNOW. Born and raised in New York City where he was educated in the public schools clear through his graduation from the Bronx High School of Science, Tyson went on to earn his B.A. in physics from Harvard and his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Columbia. Tyson’s professional research interests are broad, but include star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies and the structure of our Milky Way.
The audience in the Kent Student Center Ballroom was thoroughly entertained with Tyson’s relatable approach to such heady topics.